FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If your last name is Sanders and you play for the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks, you might be pretty good at football.
Running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders and linebacker Drew Sanders have been dominant through two games for the Hogs, who currently have a 2-0 record with wins over Cincinnati and South Carolina.
Following his performance of 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, Rocket Sanders leads all SEC rushers with 273 yards this season. He has more yards on the ground than the next two guys — Vanderbilt's Re'Mahn Davis and Mike Wright, who have played three games this season.
"I think he's becoming an all-around back a little bit more," Pittman said after the win over South Carolina. "He's blocking better in protection, he's running the ball, falling forward better...He's a better back than he was a year ago. He's playing well."
Entering the season, Pittman designated Rocket Sanders as the Razorbacks' feature running back with Dominique Johnson still recovering from an ACL injury. The two will split carries when Johnson returns, but Rocket Sanders has proved that he can handle the workhorse load.
"I feel good, actually," Sanders said. "I take everything serious outside of football as well as in like treatment. I’m in there everyday. So I know what’s in front of me and I’ve just got to attack it."
On the other side of the ball, Drew Sanders has been a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks. He is tied for the SEC lead with three sacks this season and his performance against South Carolina earned him the honor of Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week.
Sanders recorded 11 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, one pass break up and two forced fumbles in the 44-30 win over the Gamecocks. His 80.7 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade was the best of any Razorback starter Saturday.
With two games under his belt shifting back-and-forth from inside to outside linebacker, Sanders is starting to become what the Hogs hoped he would.
"He's getting better each week because he's understanding and turning it loose a little bit more," Pittman said. "If you see today versus when he first came in the spring, you'd think you had two totally different people. He's a really good player and a great kid and I'm glad he had a great game today."
During fall camp the main thing with Sanders was the coaching staff had to convince him of how good he is. It seems like he's figure that out by now.
"I felt pretty great going into the game," Sanders said Saturday. "I felt comfortable and confident with what our defense had us doing. it just put me in a great position to make plays, and I just did my best to do my job."
Sanders is No. 2 in the SEC with a 90.1 PFF pass rush grade on the season.
Both Rocket and Drew Sanders will get the change to add to their great starts when Missouri State and former Razorback coach Bobby Petrino comes to town Saturday. The game is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. CT and it will be streamed on ESPN+/SECN+.
